The Most Honourable Edward Philip George Seaga, O.N. P.C.,
LL.D. (Hon.), former Prime Minister, 1980-89, Distinguished
Fellow of the University of the West Indies, was born on May
28, 1930, in Boston, U.S.A., to the late Philip George Seaga
and Erna (nee Maxwell). He was educated at Wolmer’s
Boys’ School in Jamaica and graduated from Harvard University
in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Social Sciences.
Mr. Seaga’s political career began in 1959 when Sir
Alexander Bustamante, founder of the Jamaica Labour Party
(JLP), nominated him to serve in the Upper House of the Jamaican
Parliament, the Legislative Council (later the Senate). His
appointment at age 29 made him the youngest member ever appointed
to the Legislative Council.
Edward P.G. Seaga became Prime Minister of Jamaica following
the General Election of October 30, 1980, when the Jamaica
Labour Party won a landslide victory over the incumbent People’s
National Party (PNP) with the largest mandate ever. The mandate
of Mr. Seaga and the Jamaica Labour Party was renewed in the
uncontested 1983 General Elections. He remained Prime Minister
until February, 1989.
Mr. Seaga was also Minister of Finance and Planning, and
his portfolio included responsibilities for Information and
Culture.
As one of the founding fathers of the Jamaican Constitution
in 1961, Mr. Seaga has spear-headed far-reaching constitutional
reforms since then, initiating a re-write of the human rights
section of the Constitution to provide for a Charter of Fundamental
Rights and Freedoms, creation of a post of Public Defender
and curtailment of some of the wide powers of the executive
arm of Government to provide a better balance of power between
the executive and the parliament in the Jamaican system of
governance. Mr. Seaga is credited with having built more institutions
and initiated more far reaching policies in the growth and
developments of Jamaica than any other political leader.
Mr. Seaga has established, encouraged, promoted or introduced
several institutions, which have contributed to the modernization
and development of the financial sector. These include the
Jamaica Stock Exchange (1969), Jamaica Unit Trust (1970),
the Students’ Revolving Loan Fund for Higher Education
(1970), Jamaica Mortgage Bank (1972), National Development
Bank (1981), the Agricultural Credit Bank (1981), the Ex-Im
Bank (1986), and the Self-Start Fund (1984) to provide loans
to micro-businesses.
The highly successful Jamaica Promotion Ltd. (JAMPRO) was
created by him in 1981 as a one-stop investment organisation
to promote local and overseas investment in Jamaica. The investment
programme created a dynamic export garment sector, and expanded
the tourism sector to become the highest export earner in
the economy. An information technology centre was introduced
with AT & T which attracted many IT enterprises and created
thousands of jobs.
As Minister of Finance, Mr. Seaga represented Jamaica as
a Governor of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank,
the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Caribbean Development
Bank.
Mr. Seaga established the Urban Development Corporation (UDC)
in 1968. Through the UDC the derelict waterfronts of Kingston,
Ocho Rios and Montego Bay were developed into major resort,
residential, port, commercial and office complexes. Among
other accomplishments, the UDC spearheaded the development
of Negril as a resort area. Notably some 50,000 acres of choice
land were acquired by the UDC at Mr. Seaga’s initiative
to establish a land bank for further development. This formed
the basis for planned developments such as Hellshire, Bloody
Bay (Negril) Seville and Auchindown (Westmoreland).
On January 20, 2005, Mr. Seaga resigned from the position
of Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party which he held for 30
years and as a Member of Parliament after serving for 43 years
in the House of Representatives (and two years in the Senate),
the longest period of continuous service of any elected representative
in the English Speaking Caribbean.
He is now engaged at the University of the West Indies in
research and the writing of several books which will draw
on his immense storehouse of experience.
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